Sports, politics, and culture in seven succinct sections!

Month: January 2017

The DowJones Industrial Average closed at 20,068.51, cracking the 20,000 mark for the first time today. Republicans, please be sure to send your thanks to Barack Obama; it was at 7,949.09 on January 20th, 2009.

II. Pop

No offense to the still-blooming superstar Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs, but I so wish Spurs’ general manager R.C. Buford could trade coach Gregg Popovich for Donald Trump. It certainly would hurt the Spurs’ quest for championship ring number six, but it would leave us all with a more rational and intelligent and truth-telling president. It’s too bad that a basketball coach has to point out that we can’t believe a word said by the President of the United States.

In the absence of such a transaction, we can be just about certain that should the Spurs meet LeBron James

and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the championship, neither team will be invited for a photo-op in the White House.

III. Hands Off

As much of a bad dream as Donald Trump’s presidency may be, his young son Barron needs to be off limits from scrutiny and badgering. He should be afforded the opportunity to have as normal a childhood as can be, given the position held by his father. Unfortunately, given the “alternative facts” generally proffered by his father, young Mr. Trump will spend these years continually hearing his dad being lambasted for his lies – and that, too, is a shame.

IV. Long Walk

If I begin by saying Russell Westbrook is having a season like few players have ever had, averaging a triple-double halfway through, I won’t feel bad in adding that Jill Scott couldn’t even have imagined a Long Walk like Westbrook did against the Warriors.
If you didn’t see it, check this out:

While we’re talking traveling, let’s not leave out fellow MVP candidate James Harden, who seems to frequently “Euro-step” his way almost to Europe without being called.

V. Bartolo

MLB pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in less than a month, which leads me to think about the homer-hitting, behind the back-tossing Bartolo Colon, who will spend his 44th birthday as a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Met fans may regret this over time; while much is always written about the great young arms on the Mets, the 40+ Colon was as key as any of them – and more durable than most of them – during the last couple of years.

VI. Super Bowl

If you have a million or two to invest in a Super Bowl commercial, make sure it runs before the fourth quarter, which may be like that of so many Golden State Warriors’ games, where Steph Curry and the starters never see the floor in the fourth quarter. My guess is that by then the only question may be which Patriot is going to Disney.

VII. Are You Kidding?

Senator Elizabeth Warren was right…Donald Trump can’t stand being beaten (even in just the popular vote) by a girl, nor can he stand his inaugural crowd beaten by women the next day. So he wants a massive voter fraud investigation into how 3-5 million illegals voted, presumably all against him, a widely debunked claim he makes with absolutely no evidence. Perhaps he will offer to fund this wild goose chase with the money he has withheld from taxes.

Of course, he can begin the investigation totally in-house with his racism-peddling aide Steve Bannon, who is registered to vote in two states.

I don’t know how I happened to get on your mailing list any more than I know how we as a nation happened to get to the unimaginable place where we find ourselves, less than one full day out from the inauguration of a new president who blatantly rode the wings of racism, sexism and xenophobia to the White House. A man totally lacking class and qualifications that seeks to bring in a cabinet virtually devoid as well of basic qualifications for the positions for which they are nominated. A con man that had to take time away from transition business to deal with a $25,000,000 settlement of his fraudulent Trump university case. A man without the decorum expected of the leader of the free world – unless grabbing women by the p#%*y is now the norm for the job.

Of course, my GOP friends, you had quite a hand in this debacle over time. Like on January 20th, 2009, while President Obama and Michelle danced to the music of superstar entertainers (the likes of which are avoiding Trump’s inauguration like the plague), you guys met to plan how you would obstruct Obama at every turn. Like when Joe Wilson shouted “you lie” in the middle of a State of the Union address. And when you refused to consider President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, leaving the highest court in the land down one justice for close to a year, and counting. And of course when too many of you rode the birther train fueled for years – up until only a few short months ago – by Donald Trump.

Although there will be but a pittance of entertainers there tomorrow, I thought a playlist for the occasion would be apropos. “Ball of Confusion” might be a good track to start with, possibly followed by “War” and “Ebony and Ivory,” followed by a special dedication for Mr. Trump, “Man In The Mirror.” The set could close with “I Will Survive,” which is what we will find a way to do during these four years. And yes, I say four years – because you and I both know the demographics don’t favor Republicans going forward.

If only we could all inhabit a real-life version of the movie Groundhog Day, in which the character kept waking up to the same day. If only tomorrow – and each of the succeeding tomorrows – could and would continue to be January 19th.

Clemson’s last second victory over Alabama in Monday’s NCAA national championship game was yet another in a string of thrilling sports endings in recent months, going back to Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beating game-winning three in Villanova’s NCAA tournament win. Then in June LeBron James’ incredible block of Andre Iguodala’s layup led to Cleveland’s first NBA title after being down to Golden State three games to one.

In the World Series the Chicago Cubs flipped the script on the Cleveland Indians, coming from down 3-1 to win their first series in 1008 years. My bad…it was only 108. Anyway, if these games and championships are any indication, we may be in for a great Super Bowl between New England and their opponents.

II. Five Days

In five days, Donald J. Trump will become President of the United States, and he prepared for that yesterday morning by attacking Rep. John Lewis on Twitter. This is, of course, the same American hero John Lewis who was fighting for justice for Black people while Trump was perpetuating injustice against Blacks in his real estate properties.

One can only hope January 20th will bring a changed man to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Not just because Steve Harvey says so, either. If not, the toughest job in America belongs neither to batters attempting to hit Aroldis Chapman’s 100+mph ninth inning fastball nor to the window washers at the World Trade Center. It belongs to Kellyanne Conway.

III. Oh Canada

On the afternoon of November 8th a political junkie friend and I laughed about the impossibility of a Trump win, which led me to share that I have family in Canada in the event I needed to relocate. More laughter ensued.

After the results came in the Toronto Raptors – or at least their social media team – had a solution for one individual:

Lowry, DeRozan, LeBron…they’d be pretty tough if he would.

IV. Toddler Shootings

And the reason you had the gun someplace the kid could get to it was what again?

V. My Kind Of Town

It’s good that Derrick Rose didn’t find an horrible family tragedy or become one upon his quick trip home to Chicago while his team was about to take the court a few nights ago. Too many guns out there as well.

Yeah, he probably should have reached out to coach or assistants or GM or owner prior to pulling a no-show for his floundering team’s game, but I wonder if being glued to the bench during the fourth quarter of the previous two games (in favor of rookie Ron Baker) had something to do with his lack of desire to give them a call.

VI. Buh Bye

Well, at least the San Diego Chargers and most likely the Oakland Raiders as well aren’t going to be loading the U-Hauls and leaving their towns and fans in the middle of the night, like Robert Irsay and the Colts left Baltimore for Indianapolis. They’re going to leave in broad daylight. A plague on both of their houses.

VII. Kids Need Support 2

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